Tender, marinated steak tips braised in wine, tomatoes, and fresh rosemary, served over a bed of fluffy quinoa — this dish takes about an hour but tastes like you’ve been cooking all afternoon.
Steak tips are small, flavorful cuts from the bottom sirloin butt that are often sold already marinated. They’re common in some regions of the U.S., so if you find them at your market, grab them. If not, you can easily use sirloin and marinate it yourself for great results.
To marinate sirloin as a substitute:
- Cut the sirloin into pieces about 5 inches long by 2 inches wide and place them in a baking dish.
- Mix one bottle of store-bought Italian dressing with 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds, and season generously with salt.
- Pour the dressing over the steak pieces, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
The Awesomeness of Braised Beef
Braising is a forgiving, high-reward cooking method that turns modest cuts of beef into tender, flavorful meals with minimal hands-on effort. Follow these key steps for a perfect braise:
- Start with well-seasoned meat. Marinated steak tips or well-salted sirloin work best.
- Sear in hot oil. Use a large pan or Dutch oven so oil and splatter stay contained. Don’t crowd the pan; give each piece room to develop a deep, brown crust.
- Caramelize onions and garlic in the fond. Cook the onions until they’re sweet and browned, stirring and adjusting heat to prevent burning.
- Deglaze the pan. Add wine or broth and scrape up the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot — they create a rich base for the sauce.
- Return the meat and simmer gently. Let the meat finish cooking slowly in the sauce until it becomes tender and juicy.
Use your leftovers
This braised beef makes excellent leftovers. Reserve the cooking liquid and 1–1½ pounds of cooked steak, and you can turn them into a flavorful vegetable beef soup the next day in about 20 minutes. The reserved braising liquid becomes the perfect broth base for a quick soup.
Leftover steak is also great for dishes like Philly cheesesteak French bread pizza — melting cheese over steak on crusty bread is always a winner, so consider making extra on purpose.
What to Serve with Braised Steak Tips
I like to serve these braised steak tips over quinoa, accompanied by quickly sautéed asparagus and red bell peppers. Quinoa provides a light, nutty base that soaks up the braising juices.
You can substitute many quick sautéed vegetables — the trick is to slice them uniformly and cook them in a very hot pan with just a little oil so they stay crisp-tender and brightly flavored.
Used in this recipe:
- Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
More Recipes You Might Like:
- Asian Short Ribs {Slow Cooker or Oven Braised}
- Slow-Cooker Tri-Tip Steak with Fennel and Coriander Gravy
- Tuscan Braised Beef with Garlic Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
- Classic Meatloaf {with Sausage}
- Beef and Barley Soup with Bacon and Roasted Mushrooms
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beef, Rice and Veggie Bowls
- Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage
- Couscous Veggie Bowls with Butternut Squash and Andouille Sausage
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
Rosemary Braised Steak Tips Over Quinoa
Tender, marinated steak tips braised in wine, tomatoes, and fresh rosemary, and served over a bed of quinoa — about an hour of hands-on time with deep, comforting flavor.
40 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
FOR THE STEAK TIPS:
- 4–6 lbs marinated steak tips or sirloin steak (see note for marinating sirloin)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- about 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Two 15-oz cans diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3–5 large fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
FOR THE QUINOA:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (any variety)
- 2 cups water or broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
MAKE THE STEAK TIPS:
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan over medium-high until shimmering. Add a few pieces of steak to the hot oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook 2 minutes, flip, season the other side, and cook 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining steak.
- Reduce heat to medium and add chopped onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the wine and scrape up browned bits from the pan. Increase heat to high and boil to reduce the wine for about 10 minutes until only about 2 tablespoons remain. Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes with their juice, brown sugar, crushed red pepper, and rosemary; stir to combine.
- Return the steak to the pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the meat is tender.
MAKE THE QUINOA:
- Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water and drain.
- Bring water or broth and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand 5 minutes. Remove lid and gently fluff with a fork.
TO SERVE:
Place about ½ cup cooked quinoa on each plate, top with 2–3 pieces of steak, and ladle some of the braising liquid over the meat and quinoa before serving.
Notes
Marinated steak tips may not be available everywhere. If you can’t find them, use sirloin and marinate as described earlier: cut into 5″ x 2″ pieces, combine a bottle of Italian dressing with 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds, pour over the meat, salt generously, cover, and refrigerate 4–24 hours.
Plan on about ½ pound of steak per serving. If you want leftovers for soup, cook enough so you have 1–1½ pounds reserved for Vegetable Beef Soup or other meals the next day.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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